1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roller skate, and more particularly to an in-line roller skate having an adjustable toe portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,827 to Olson discloses one of the typical roller skates including a shoe body that may be changeably secured or attached onto an in-line roller frame or an ice blade, with a fastener bolt. The shoe body includes a fixed shape and a fixed length that may not be changed or adjusted to different lengths for receiving feet of different lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,707 to Conte discloses the other typical roller skate including a heel portion that may be adjustably secured onto an in-line roller frame with an engagement between a toothed stem and a toothed tab. The toothed stem should be rotated with one end thereof, and should be locked to the frame with teeth of another tab which is pivotally secured to the other end of the toothed stem, such that the toothed stem may not be easily and quickly operated, and should be operated with both hands of the users.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,697 to Lin discloses a further typical roller skate including a toe portion that may be adjustably secured onto a heel portion, with a spring biased positioning device. However, the spring biased positioning device may not be easily disengaged from the toe portion and may not be quickly engaged onto the toe portion again, such that the toe portion may not be easily and quickly adjusted relative to the heel portion.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional roller skates.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an in-line roller skate including an adjustable toe portion that may be easily and quickly adjusted relative to the heel portion.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a roller skate comprising a frame including a front portion having a slot formed therein, and having an orifice laterally formed therein and communicating with the slot of the frame, the frame including a rear portion, and including a plurality of cavities formed around the orifice of the frame, a heel portion secured on the rear portion of the frame, and including a front portion having a pair of oblong holes formed therein, a toe portion including a rack slidably received in the slot of the frame, and including two sides each having an aperture formed therein and aligned with the oblong holes of the heel portion respectively, two fasteners engaged through the apertures of the toe portion and the oblong holes of the heel portion respectively, for limiting a sliding movement of the toe portion relative to the heel portion, a gear rotatably provided in the frame, and including a bore and a groove formed therein and communicating with each other and aligned with the orifice of the frame, a knob including a shaft engaged through the orifice of the frame and engaged into the bore of the gear, and including a key extended from the shaft and engaged into the groove of the gear for allowing the gear to be rotated by the knob, and for allowing the rack and thus the toe portion to be adjusted relative to the frame and the heel portion by rotating the knob, and the knob including a projection extended therefrom for selectively engaging with the cavities of the frame, and for positioning the knob and the gear to the frame at any selected angular position. The gear may be rotated by the knob with only one hand of the user and on only one side of the roller skate.
The knob includes an engaging hole formed therein for receiving a driving tool which may be used to rotate the knob and thus the gear relative to the frame and the heel portion.
The heel portion includes a pair of flaps extended from the front portion thereof, the oblong holes of the heel portion are formed in the flaps respectively.
The frame includes a pair of wings extended therefrom, the orifice of the frame is formed through the wings of the frame, the gear is rotatably disposed between the wings of the frame. The cavities of the frame are formed in one of the wings and formed around the orifice of the frame.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.